Amy Branham
 t r u t h o u t | Guest Contributor

Tuesday 01 May 2007

Laura Bush on "The Today Show" April 25, 2007:

Ann Curry: Do you know the American people are suffering ... watching [Iraq]?

Laura Bush: Oh, I know that very much, and, believe me, no one suffers more than their president and I do
when we watch this. And certainly the commander-in-chief who has asked our military to go into harm's way.

AC: What do you think the American people need to know ...

LB: Well, I hope they do know the burden of worry that's on his shoulders every single day for our troops. And I
think they do. I think if they don't, they're not seeing what the real responsibilities of our president are.

AC: It must be hard for you to watch him in this.

LB: It's hard. Of course, it's absolutely hard.
Believe me, Laura, there are many others who suffer more than you and your husband when they watch on TV
the horrors of Iraq. I can name several people whom I know personally, myself included, who have suffered
much more than you because of this war. You only have to watch it on TV when you choose to. You can turn it
off and on at will and walk away from it. Thousands upon thousands of others, however, cannot.

Have you stayed up all night, walking the floors of your home, wondering about the last moments of your
child's life? Have you had to sit back and watch as your daughters mourned their big brother, their only
brother, who is now dead? Have you held and comforted your husband, whose heart has broken? Just tell
me, how have you and the president suffered in all of this, tucked away safe and sound in your Ivory Tower?

What about the military families who send their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, moms and dads into
battle over and over again? Have you suffered the way they have? Have you lost your job, your family? Have
you or any member of your family come home maimed for life from the loss of limbs? Has any member of
your family suffered from PTSD or suicidal thoughts? Have you sat up all night wondering if you will ever hear
from your loved one again because you know they are in harm's way?

Let's talk about the soldiers who are not getting the supplies and equipment they need, but are doing their
best every single day to do their jobs in an impossible situation - because your husband sent them to an
ill-begotten, immoral and unjust war against a country and a people who did not attack us. They miss their
homes, their families, their lives. And their lives will never be the same if they do come home unharmed. The
men and women of our military have suffered much more than you and George.

Most of all, have you even given one ounce of thought to the people of Iraq? What about their suffering? How
many tens of thousands of deaths have they suffered? How many of their homes have been destroyed? How
many whole families have been killed?

I promise you, Laura, there is absolutely no way you and George have suffered even close to the suffering of
the military families, the soldiers, the people of Iraq have suffered. You could not unless you sent one of your
beloved children or other family members into the war. You are so far removed from it that I don't think you
have the capacity for understanding what the true suffering of the war in Iraq is. Don't get me wrong; I believe
that you, as a woman and a mother, probably do have some empathy for the suffering. But you do not
understand. Not even close.

Please do not insult our intelligence and the sacrifice of the soldiers and their families or the people of Iraq
with such comments again.
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